Mast climbing

[Bruce Hanson]

We have a steaming light out and would like to repair this myself. We have a bosyns chair and would like to establish a routine to get up the mast with only my wife to assist. Has anyone perfected a safe procedure for this? I was thinking of using one halyard for a foothold to use as a means of climbing with the other two attached to chair. Ideas?

[Ed Shankle]

I found that is was too difficult for my wife to grind me up the mast while in a bosun's chair. I've since gone to a ATN Top Climber and find that reasonable to use, once you get the nack of it.

Ed

[Roc]

Bruce, I agree, it's not easy grinding the winch.  You might want to find someone at your dock that would help.  I feel that safety is the biggest concern.  So, the halyard would be connected to the chair, which is what is used to hoist you up.  Another halyard (jib) could be connected to a harness that you are wearing.  Then, when you clear the spreaders, wrap a line around the mast and connect it to the harness so if all fails, that one will catch you and you won't fall past the spreaders.  You could go with one back-up safety line, but why not double it up.  Also, don't just shackle the halyards to the chair and harness.  First tie a bowline, then shackle the end.  This way you aren't relying on just the shackle.

[Stu Jackson]

Regardless of what you do, reroute the halyard from the cabintop winch to the main winch, by removing the jib sheet and placing the halyard through the jib fairlead(s).  This gives you the biggest winch to use with much more capacity and ease of grinding.  You'll need to be careful about the routing: over the wooden handrails (if you have a MkI) will tend to scrape off your varnish (or Cetol, etc.), although if you put it underneath you'll be scraping the fiberglass on the cabin top.  My riggers do it this way, and I've also used a four part tackle on a raised halyard without the winch.

[John Langford]

If you have an electric windlass then you can take your main halyard from the block at the mast base to a block at the stem fitting and then to the windlass. Then you can be pulled up the mast by your partner with a push of the toe.

[ssk]

A modest suggestion...
Buy a winchbit from www.winchbit.com for about $35.00 plus shipping etc. 
Then rent a high torque Milwaukee right angle drill from a rental yard or Home Depot.
Your wife will be able to shoot you up the mast like you weighed nothing at all.

I did it as an experiment two weeks ago. 
Now I am shopping for an affordable cordless drill to raise the mainsail and have a power winch handle for myself and dock friends whenever I need it.

SSK
Lady K ('94 1281
Channel Islands, CA

[steve stoneback]

I have been the marina "Mast Monkey" for the past 15 years and have been up many different rigs.  I require 2 halyards tied and shackled to the chair if they want me to go up their mast.  One halyard lifts and the other takes slack.  I really don't think my wife could crank the winch to raise me, but she is usually my safety line.  There are some interesting method mentioned here which I may incorporate into my routine.
sps

[Ted Pounds]

I got a pair of Jumar ascenders from a local rock-climbing store.  They work like the ATN Top-Climber, but I find them easier to use.  One attaches to the chair and the other goes to webbing loops for my feet.  I feel very comfortable using them without a safety rope since that's the way they're used by rock climbers and rescue services.   But it's easy have some one tending a second halyard as a safety rope.

[captran]

this summer we replaced the masthead st40 wind unit.  My wife used the maxwell windlass.  After about every 5 feet she would stop and pull up the main halyard which was my back up.  It worked extremely well with no physical effort.  The only problem was I ran the jib halyard from the block at the base of the mast direct to the windlass, and after 4 trips up and down, the line wore a small groove in the glass by the anchor well. Easily repaired but would have been avoidable. That could have been avoided by doing what John recommended, putting another block at the stem fitting.

[Jim Price]

Just a FYI.  I use the ATN system. 

I tie off a second line (using correct secure knot) to either the spare jib or main halyard.  I use the second line because of the tendency  of the grip units to snag the outer cover of the line over time and would rather do that to a secondary line.

When using main halyard side, I run line through one of my mast blocks through fairlead in traveler around coach roof winch to tailed main winch.  Wrap around secondary winch is to help keep line off glass.  Remember, with ATN, lines are tight, no winching required other than main halyard tightening.

When using spare jib halyard, I tie off a block to forward base of mast, run line to bow cleats.  I use the jib halyard / clutches to tighten and secure line.

Unfortunately, I have to assend most of time alone so this system works best for me.  I do use the unused RAISED halyard as safety clip on line once aloft so shorten my fall if it ever happened.  I also carry VHF and cell phone in tool bag when up the stick.  I ain't totally stupid just getting old.

[ohana34]

I use the web stairs made by MastMate.
Goes up the mainsail track, use the jib hailyard as a safey which I tie to a rock climbing harness.
Works good
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Guys : I've tried Sid's 1/2 Milwaukee cordless drill and it did NOT work.  There just wasn't enough power.  Tryed it with someone else's (same) drill and it just didn't have enough power to raise my dink (89lbs) with motor (49lbs) on it!!! 
Worked well on winching in the sheets/halyards for me, but my 1st Mate couldn't handle it.
So, be warned not to purchase the "Winch Buddy" -  try the same drill from Home depot for more than 1/2 the price, but be prepared to get a refund if it doesn't "crank you up the mast"!!  Been there tryed it!!!   

[Rick Johnson]

My boat neighbor uses Sid's Milwaukee right angle drill and winchbit solution (he bought the drill and bit).  I have powered him up the mast of his Catalina 30 several times and twice up my C34.  It is about the limit of the drill's power but he just helps pull himself up where ever he can.  It's not a perfect solution but it's not bad.  I watched his wife try hauling him up once (I was on the safety line).  Just about all she could handle and I'm not sure how she could handle both the drill and the safety line....  I'd buy the bit and rent the drill and see how it goes....

Cheers

[Jim Price]

Guys, since we have also seen recent treads about "older sailors" (which I am one of them) I would stand on using any type of gear, ATN or others, that use primarily your legs.  Legs are MUCH stronger than arms and will keep you climbing for years to come. 

Regarding using standard bosons chair, I would still look into a climbing rig that would get me up (and down) under my own power (and control) and then use chair or whatever rig support to sit in for the work and enjoying the view.  I just tend to have more confidence in my own ability than trying to communicate with someone on the deck.   

That is my 1 cent worth and every one has got to climb their own mast in life their own way.